Miami-Biscayne-Card Sound-Key Largo

Wonderful night yesterday, at anchor with view of downtown Miami.  Quiet, Beautiful.

Nice trip south today - even got a couple of hours in with full sails up!

Anchored now for the night off of Pumpkin Key, on the inside (Card Sound) side of Key Largo.

and later, that same evening ...

Down the coast to Biscayne Bay

Today we motorsailed (jib up, NE wind, light) from Fort Lauderdale, down to Miami.

We are currently anchored off of the Miami Marine Stadium, in northern Biscayne Bay (see chart, below).

Traveling with our buddy-boat, s/v-Utopia with Diane & Frank Albani.  Headed down to the Florida Keys tomorrow.

Weather is perfect, as usual.

Fort Lauderdale to Miami

Miami skyline from s/v Ihana @ anchor

Closeup of downtown Miami

Singing: How I love ya, how I love ya, my dear Miami ...

Why is the bluewater so blue?

A while ago, I asked why the water down here in the ocean is so intensely dark blue.  Got the answer from Mark & Diana Doyle's "Managing the Waterway - Florida Keys" cruising guide (p. UK-53):

Paraphrasing: These waters are an underwater desert.  The water is nutrient-poor, with relatively little planktonic food, so the water is transparent.  The water reflects the blue of the sky, but not the green of the planktons, and therefore the water is blue but not blue-green.

And that's why tropical seas are so blue. [Unless someone has a better idea.]

Fort Lauderdale pictures - not at the beach

bird on the dock

bird on the boat

Fort Lauderdale - "main street" from the 17th Street Bridge

Commuting vehicle parked next to boat -
bought a new water hose and a fishing spear

s/v-Ihana from the Las Olas Bridge

s/v Ihana and some of her neighbors
at the Las Olas Marina, Fort Lauderdale, FL

That girl in the kayak, again

Onward to the Florida Keys

Tentative voyage plan –

Tuesday, February 5 - leave Fort Lauderdale, sail outside on the ocean to Miami, then inside on Key Biscayne and Florida Bay side of the Keys

    Possible overnight anchorages:

Fisher Island or Miami Marine Stadium (or Hurricane Hole, or No Name Harbor)

Pumpkin Key in Card Sound

Tarpon Basin or Sunset Cove

Barley Basin, outside of Little Basin

Channel 5, Oceanside or Bayside (depends on wind)

Boot Key Harbor, Marathon

May arrive in Marathon by the end of the week or thereabouts.  Maybe.